Wendigo
Wendigo are creatures which are created when a malevolent spirit from the Fae Realms possesses a human who has consumed human flesh. Physiology Aging and Appearance Wendigo begin appearing completely human. Steadily, as they age, they will become tall, pale, and gaunt, looking as though they are constantly starved. As decades and centuries pass, however, they will undergo increased alterations to their body, growing fur, sprouting claws and antlers, and having their heads become monstrous and skull like. As they age, their hunger will also grow, and they will need to consume more and more human flesh before returning to hibernation. Activity Cycle As years pass, wendigo will begin to enter cycles of activity, wherein they sleep for decades, and awaken for a few short weeks to gather victims and feed. As a wendigo ages, these cycles will grow longer, as they spend more and more time in hibernation. Creation Wendigo are created by malevolent fae spirits possess humans. This can only occur once a human has consumed the flesh of their fellow man. This act of cannibalism allows the wendigo spirit a gateway into their mind and body, allowing them to steadily transform them into a creature of unending hunger. Slowly but surely, the soon to be wendigo will begin gaining an increase in strength, speed, and fortitude, and desire to consume human flesh. Their bodies will become tall, gaunt, and emaciated, their skin stretching pale and tight across their bodies. Eventually, their human personalities will wither away, and all that shall remain will be a predator, obsessed with trying to satisfy their unending hunger. Feeding Habits Wendigo prefer to consume prey alive, at their lair. When hunting, they will typically incapacitate their prey and drag them back to their lairs, where they can be consumed at the wendigo's leisure. While they do usually incapacitate and capture any humans they find in their territory, if a wendigo is injured by someone, they are likely to attempt to kill them out of spite, and eat them later. Oftentimes, wendigo will also preserve some of their victims so that when they next awaken, they will have an initial meal to start their activity cycle. Intelligence After their transformation, wendigo loose their sentience, being completely consumed by their hunger for human flesh. However, they still are possessed of a predatory intelligence, and while they do not remember the meaning of most forms of speech, they are able to recognize that certain sounds, such as screams and cries for help, have an emotional hold over people. Thusly, they are able to use screams to lure people towards them, where they can be taken. Lairs Wendigo's prefer to lair in places that are isolated and dark, where they can safely hide away for decades at a time without being discovered. However, the biomes they live in will always be frigid, as the fae spirits that create wendigo are tied to cold. Powers and Abilities Natural Weapons: Wendigo have claws, teeth, and antlers which are supernaturally sharp and resilient, enabling them to slash through a variety of materials. Regeneration: Wendigo are able to recover rapidly from the vast majority of injuries within a few minutes. Short of decapitation or immolation, they are able to fully heal from any wound inflicted upon them, and can even regrow lost limbs and organs, though such injuries obviously take longer to heal. Superhuman Durability: Wendigo are monstrously resilient to damage. Their hides and bodies are toughened, so that it incredibly difficult to puncture their skin with bullets or blades. They are able to withstand damage to the body and limbs without being overly hampered, as long as the limbs are not removed. Head trauma will slow them down somewhat, but rarely does any lasting harm. Superhuman Senses: Wendigo are possessed of supernaturally keen senses. They are able to see, smell, and hear creatures from up to a mile away, and are able to see in pitch darkness. Superhuman Speed: Wendigo possess supreme supernatural speed, being able to run in excess of a hundred miles per hour with ease. This speed also applies to their reaction times, and allows them to dodge and swat aside a number of projectiles. Superhuman Strength: Gifted with horrific physical strength, wendigo are able to easily dismember most creatures with their clawed hands. Flipping cars is easily within the realms of possibility for them, and they are able to rip through many types of metal with little difficulty. Telepathy: Wendigo possess a few telepathic abilities which can be used to aid in their hunts. Their effective range is anywhere within a wendigo's line of sight. * Mind Reading: Wendigo possess the ability to read minds. Whilst they no longer retain the ability to process complex thoughts, they are able to read the emotions associated with certain memories, and thereby, glean information on a victim's loved ones, allowing them to lure them into their clutches. * Psychic Scream: Wendigo are capable of exuding a powerful scream imbued with psychic energy that can stun or knock out their victims. * Voice Mimicry: Wendigo are capable of perfectly mimicking any voice they have heard before, including those they have hear via telepathy, and are capable of psychically projecting it as well as vocally. Weaknesses Decapitation: Decapitation will immediately kill a wendigo. Fire: As wendigo are created by fae spirits of cold and hunger, they are repulsed by heat, especially fire. They are highly flammable, and can be set ablaze by relatively minor flames. Wounds caused by fire are incredibly slow to heal, and cause absolute agony to the wendigo. Being consumed by flame is one of the only ways to kill them. Such is a wendigo's fear of fire that they will usually flee before even a small torch. Iron: Due to the fact that wendigo are being possessed by a fae, a magical being, the touch of pure iron causes them pain. However, it will not kill them, even if they receive what would be equivalent to a lethal wound to a human from it. Silver: Given the fae aversion to silver, silver is also extremely painful to wendigo. Wounds from it take much longer to heal, but are generally not lethal unless they exposed to a huge amount of it. Magic: Wendigo are susceptible to magic, and can be killed by powerful uses of it, or repelled by magical wards.Category:Races